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Y2 - Endocrine > Physiology > Flashcards

Flashcards in Physiology Deck (74)
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1
Q

What is autocrine regulation?

A

Chemicals released from the cells bind to receptors on or in the cell that is releasing them

2
Q

What is paracrine regulation?

A

Chemicals released from the cells bind to receptors on adjacent cells

3
Q

What is endocrine regulation?

A

Chemicals released from secretory cells are usually transported via the circulatory system

4
Q

What are hormones?

A

Any substance produced by one cell to regulate another cell

5
Q

How does the hypothalamus control endocrine regulation?

A

Secreted regulator hormones that control the activity of anterior pituitary cells
Synthesises hormones and transports them to the posterior pituitary via the infundibulum
Direct neural control function - controls secretion of adrenaline and noradrenaline by the adrenal medulla

6
Q

What is diurnal control?

A

Where external cues (light/dark) evoke fluctuations in hormone secretions

7
Q

What is an examples of hormones having complementary actions?

A

Adrenaline, cortisol and glucagon have complementary actions on blood glucose levels

8
Q

What is an examples of hormones having antagonistic actions?

A

Insulin and glucagon have antagonistic effects on blood glucose levels

9
Q

What are the 3 classes of hormones?

A

Steroids
Amine derived
Proteins

10
Q

What are steroid hormones?

A

Lipids derived from cholesterol

11
Q

How are steroid hormones transported?

A

In blood plasma by binding to carrier proteins

Some (10%) are free and biologically active

12
Q

What are examples of steroid hormones?

A

Cortisol
Oestrogen
Testosterone

13
Q

How do steroid hormones pass through plasma membranes?

A

Activated hormone-receptor complex forms within the cell

The complex binds to DNA and activates specific genes - gene activation leads to production of key proteins

14
Q

What are amine derived hormones?

A

Hydrophilic hormones derived from amino acids

15
Q

How are amine derived hormones transported?

A

Unbound in blood plasma

16
Q

Where are amine derived hormones secreted from?

A

Thyroid and adrenal medulla

17
Q

What are examples of amine derived hormones?

A

Thyroxine
Adrenaline

18
Q

What are peptide hormones?

A

Hydrophilic hormones that make up the majority of hormones

The same thing as protein hormones

19
Q

Where are peptide hormones secreted from?

A

Pituitary gland, parathyroid gland, heart, stomach, liver, kidneys

20
Q

In what form are peptide hormones secreted as?

A

Precursor molecules and stored in secretory vesicles

21
Q

What are examples of peptide hormones?

A

Somatostatin

Insulin

22
Q

What is the process of insulin secretion?

A
  1. Elevation of blood glucose concentration
  2. Increased diffusion of glucose into the b-cell (aka B-cell) by facilitated transport (GLUT2)
  3. Phosphorylation of glucose by glucokinase
  4. Glycolysis of glucose-6-phosphate in mitochondria yielding ATP
  5. Increased ATP/ADP ratio within cell closes ATP-sensitive K+ channels causing membrane depolarisation
  6. Opening of voltage-activated Ca2+ channels increases intracellular Ca2+ that triggers insulin secretion
23
Q

What is the purpose of the binding of hormones to career proteins?

A

Facilitation of hormone transport
Increased half-life
A reservoir for the hormone

24
Q

What are examples of specific carrier proteins?

A

Cortisol-binding globulin binds cortisol selectively
Thyroxine-binding globulin binds thyroxine (T4) selectively
Sex steroid-binding globulin binds mainly testosterone and oestradiol

25
Q

What are the hormones secreted by the hypothalamus?

A

Thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH)

Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH)

26
Q

What are the hormones released by the pituitary gland?

A
Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)
Adrenocorticotrophic Hormone (ACTH)
Luteinizing Hormone (LH)
Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)
Growth Hormone (GH)
Prolactin
Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone (MSH)
Oxytocin
Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH)
27
Q

What are the hormones released by the pineal gland?

A

Melatonin

28
Q

What are the hormones released by the thyroid/parathyroid glands?

A

Thyroxine (T4)
Triiodothyronine (T3)
Calcitonin (CT)
Parathyroid Hormone (PTH)

29
Q

What are the hormones released by the adrenal medulla?

A

Adrenaline (epinephrine)

Noradrenaline (norepinephrine)

30
Q

What are the hormones released by the adrenal cortex?

A

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)
Aldosterone
Glucocorticoids (cortisol, corticosterone

31
Q

What are the hormones released by the testes?

A

Testosterone

32
Q

What are the hormones released by the pancreas?

A

Insulin
Glucagon
Somatostatin

33
Q

What are the hormones released by the ovaries?

A

Oestradiol
Oestriol
Progesterone
Testosterone

34
Q

What are the hormones released by the placenta?

A

Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG)

Oestradiol

35
Q

What are the hormones released by the mammary glands?

A

Oestrogen

36
Q

What is the cause of Diabetes mellitus (Type I)?

A

Lack of insulin

37
Q

What is the cause of Diabetes mellitus (Type II)?

A

Insulin resistance, overproduction of glucose or abnormal insulin secretion

38
Q

What is the cause of Diabetes insipidus (pituitary)?

A

Lack of ADH

39
Q

What is the cause of Diabetes insipidus (nephrogenic)?

A

Renal unresponsiveness to ADH

40
Q

What is the cause of Addison’s disease?

A

Adrenal destruction/lack of ACTH secretion

41
Q

What is the cause of Cushing’s syndrome?

A

Adrenal tumour (excess cortisol secretion)

42
Q

What is the cause of Congenital hypothyroidism?

A

Lack of T4-T3 secretion

43
Q

What is the cause of Myxedema (adult hypothyroidism)?

A

Lack of T4-T3 secretion

44
Q

What is the cause of Hyperthyroidism?

A

Excess of T4-T3 secretion

45
Q

What is the cause of Hypoparathyroidism?

A

Parathyroid gland destruction

46
Q

What is the cause of hyperparathyroidism?

A

Parathyroid gland tumour, increased PTH secretion

47
Q

What is the cause of Conn’s disease (hyperalosteronism)?

A

Adrenocortical tumour, excess aldosterone secretion

48
Q

Which hormone acts on the adrenal gland, which hormone triggers its release, and which hormone does it stimulate the production of?

A

ACTH
CRH
Cortisol

49
Q

Which hormone acts on the thyroid gland, which hormone triggers its release, and which hormone does it stimulate the production of?

A

TSH
TRH
T3/4

50
Q

Which hormones act on the ovaries and testes, which hormone triggers their release, and which hormones do they stimulate the production of?

A

LH, FSH
GnRH
Oestradiol, Testosterone

51
Q

Which hormone is responsible for growth and which hormone triggers its release?

A

GH
IGF-1

52
Q

Which hormone acts on the mammary glands and which hormone triggers its release?

A

Prolactin

Dopamine INHIBITS release of prolactin

53
Q

What hormones are measured in a normal pituitary blood test?

A
TSH
fT4
LH
FSH
Testosterone
GH
IGF-1
PRL
54
Q

What are the key reproductive hormones?

A
GnRH
LH
FSH
Oestrogen
Progesterone
Testosterone
55
Q

What are the gonadotrophin hormones?

A

LH, FSH

56
Q

What are the functions of FSH in males and females?

A

Males: stimulates testes to produce sperm (spermatogenesis)
Females: causes growth of ovarian follicles (oogenesis) and stimulates the ovary to secrete oestrogen

57
Q

What are the functions of LH in males and females?

A

Males: causes the testes to secrete testosterone
Females: causes ovulation and causes progesterone production by the corpus luteum

58
Q

What is the female HPG (hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal) axis?

A

Hypothalamus released GnRH, which stimulates the pituitary to release LH and FSH.
LH and FSH stimulate the ovaries to secrete oestrogen and progesterone.
High levels of oestrogen and progesterone both inhibit and stimulate the pituitary and hypothalamus at different parts in the cycle

59
Q

What is the male HPG (hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal) axis?

A

Hypothalamus released GnRH, which stimulates the pituitary to release LH and FSH.
LH and FSH stimulate the testes to produce testosterone.
High levels of testosterone inhibit the hypothalamus and pituitary

60
Q

What is GnRH?

A

Gonadotrophin Releasing Hormone is a neuropeptide synthesised and released by the hypothalamus

61
Q

In what way is GnRH release different in males and females?

A

In males: secretes in pulses at a constant frequency

In females: secreted in pulses which vary in frequency during the menstrual cycle

62
Q

How is frequency of GnRH pulses regulated?

A

Growth of follicles increases oestrogen concentration, which will increase GnRH pulsatality, driving release of LH
The corpus luteum causes increase in progesterone concentration, which reduces frequency of GnRH pulses

63
Q

How do the levels of different hormones change throughout the menstrual cycle?

A

At the start FSH rises, causing growth of ovarian follicles which secrete oestrogen, increasing levels
Rising oestrogen levels cause negative feedback loop to lower FSH temporarily
Once oestrogen reaches a certain level it causes a positive feedback mechanism to increase FSH levels and cause a surge in LH
LH surge causes ovulation and the formation of corpus luteum, which secretes progesterone
Increased levels of progesterone decrease LH secretion
If fertilisation doesn’t occur progesterone levels drop again

64
Q

What is a follicle?

A

Oocyte surrounded by follicular cells

65
Q

What is the function of the negative then positive feedback of FSH levels?q

A

To select one follicle to be secreted

66
Q

What happens to the corpus luteum is pregnancy does not occur?

A

Becomes the corpus albicans

67
Q

What are the functions of oestrogen?

A

Increase the thickness of the vaginal wall
Regulate the LH surge
Reduce vaginal pH through increased lactic acid production
Decrease viscosity of cervical mucus to facilitate sperm penetration

68
Q

What are the functions of progesterone?

A

Maintains thickness of the endometrium
Responsible for infertile thick mucus to prevent sperm transport and help prevent infection
Relaxes the myometrium (smooth muscle)

69
Q

What factors regulate sperm’s ability to penetrate the mucus?

A

Thickness of the mucus
Motility of sperm
Interaction with reactive oxygen species produced by leukocytes int he cervical mucus
Interaction with mucins

70
Q

Where does spermatogenesis occur?

A

Seminiferous tubules in the testes

71
Q

Roughly how long does spermatogenesis take?

A

70 days

72
Q

What is the function of testosterone in spermatogenesis?

A

Stimulates release of spermatocytes from sertoli cells

Maintains the integrity of the blood-testis barrier

73
Q

How is testosterone produced?

A

LH stimulates testosterone production from cholesterol in Leydig cells

74
Q

How are testosterone and LH linked?

A

Negative feedback - rise in testosterone decreases LH and decrease in testosterone increases LH